Best way to lower Phosphates without lowering Nitrates?

[SauceyReef]

I have been having some nutrient problems. My tank has been hovering at 5ppm - I feed a lot each day to make sure its not bottoming out, and have been lowering my macro refugium time a bit. I got a new Hanna Phosphate tester, and 2x times now it came out at around 1.2ppm. Is this even possible? Everything in my tank seems pretty fine. Going to go to a LFS today or tomorrow to get my readings double checked.

If the readings are correct - what is the best way to slowly lower the phosphates without bottoming out my nitrates? Should I be doing this pretty slowly?

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

GFO in reactor is my go to.

You can easily tune it by flow or hours run or even how much is used.

Yes, you want to be pulling them down slowly which does take some time as they will be equalizing from your rock, back into the water.

 

[SauceyReef]

GFO in reactor is my go to.

You can easily tune it by flow or hours run or even how much is used.

Yes, you want to be pulling them down slowly which does take some time as they will be equalizing from your rock, back into the water.

Hey! Thanks for reply - you are helpful as always.

This is for my fluval evo 13.5 I dont have much room in the back chambers left anymore. Chamber 2 has my chaeto, chamber 3 has my heater / return pump replacement. I guess I could get a reactor in chamber 1. Is there a more simpler method besides GFO to remove phosphates? Clearly water changes is not the answer because my nitrates are so low.

Also, curious is this normal? I didn't know nutrients could be so inversely related.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

Hey! Thanks for reply - you are helpful as always.

This is for my fluval evo 13.5 I dont have much room in the back chambers left anymore. Chamber 2 has my chaeto, chamber 3 has my heater / return pump replacement. I guess I could get a reactor in chamber 1. Is there a more simpler method besides GFO to remove phosphates? Clearly water changes is not the answer because my nitrates are so low.

Also, curious is this normal? I didn't know nutrients could be so inversely related.

My bad, should have asked some questions first. With a system that small, a reactor is a difficult add. Passively running gfo in a bag is also an option.

Have you always had high po4? Have you identified where it's coming from?

 

[SauceyReef]

My bad, should have asked some questions first. With a system that small, a reactor is a difficult add. Passively running gfo in a bag is also an option.

Have you always had high po4? Have you identified where it's coming from?

I think passively through a bag is not a bad option. I can clip it behind the grids on chamber 1 where the water escapes the DT. Has some decent flow there. Ill throw a carbon bag there sometimes when I frag.

Frequent water changes have been keeping me safe and the tank looking good. I've been using two of my LFS's to periodically test PHOS, ALK, CA, but the one store I really rely on got new employees, and also started charging $ for tests. The one employee didn't even know how to do a test. I've been having newer tank problems (cyano) and last month decided to step up my testing ability to figure it all out. I ordered more Hannas for all the params I am not testing myself. My phosphate before was normally reading half or less of what it is now. Currently I am questioning the accuracy of the readings, though.

I really dont know much about nutrients and how Phosphates increase, but nitrates do not. TO clarify I really dont know how to pinpoint the cause of this. Does food normally break down into Phosphates, Nitrates, or both? I feed a lot, but thats normally to combat my low nitrates.

 

[SauceyReef]

I was recommended Brightwell Aquatics NeoNitro by some others. It helps increase Nitrates, and decreases phosphates.

 

[homer1475]

Neonitro will only increase nitrates. It will do nothing to your phosphates.

What hanna checker are you using?

What type of food are you feeding heavy to increase nitrates? Deoending on food, it could cause phosphates to rise significantly.

 

[Lost in the Sauce]

I was recommended Brightwell Aquatics NeoNitro by some others. It helps increase Nitrates, and decreases phosphates.

The only way that will lower po4 is if you're macro are locked out of consuming po4, by a total lack of no3.

I prefer to attack the problem head on, instead of a roundabout way.

Do you feed frozen cubes?

 

[Dave1993]

phosguard does the trick and fast

 

[SauceyReef]

Neonitro will only increase nitrates. It will do nothing to your phosphates.

What hanna checker are you using?

What type of food are you feeding heavy to increase nitrates? Deoending on food, it could cause phosphates to rise significantly.

It says on the package it decreases phosphates, but I will take your word. I got a used HI-713 for phosphates. I feed frozen Mysis Shrimp + Rods food mix. Occasionally I throw in fish eggs or bloodworms as a treat.

 

[SauceyReef]

Thanks for the help everyone - greatly appreciated.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

tank has been hovering at 5ppm

Clarification needed, what parameter is 5ppm?

 

[SauceyReef]

Clarification needed, what parameter is 5ppm?

Nitrates - that was dumb of me not to include that.

 

[SauceyReef]

Bump! Wondering about everyones or anyones opinion on the food I am feeding, and how with regular water changes, a large amount of chaeto in the fuge, and low nitrates I could get phosphates so high.

Sadly I got pretty sick over the weekend, so the LFS confirmation test results will have to wait.

 

[sixty_reefer]

I was recommended Brightwell Aquatics NeoNitro by some others. It helps increase Nitrates, and decreases phosphates.

Only if the system is not carbon limited, if carbon limited it won’t help reduce phosphates.

 

[Poseidon03]

I have a similarish issue. My nitrates are almost always unreadable and my phosphates hover around .13ppm. I'm pretty sure it is my rock since I feed frozen (lower phosphates than flake and pellets). I typically correct mine by adding nitrates, but with yours, I'd use phosphateRX. You can control your phosphates that way and get them to the level you want. It is super easy too.

Your phosphates will keep on jumping back up every couple of days due to your rocks releasing phosphates back into the water. What you have to do for this is to keep testing and dosing the phosphateRX every 4 days to get your phosphates to the level you want. Once they stop jumping back up, you can test your trends and use GFO from there or use phosphateRX occasionally.

 

[MyFirstCar]

In that small a reef, a gfo reactor or lanthanum chloride can be a pain and a little expensive to setup. One thing, because your tank is so small, is adding clean dry rock to the sump. From what I understand, dry rock can adsorb and store phosphate, and because your tank is so small it might be worth it trading off price/hassle of other options. I've done this in my 20g, and it wasn't a super rigourus test, but it did work.

 

[SauceyReef]

Has anyone else used phosphate RX here? I could potentially just setup a little bag of GFO and clip it on the back chamber grid.

In that small a reef, a gfo reactor or lanthanum chloride can be a pain and a little expensive to setup. One thing, because your tank is so small, is adding clean dry rock to the sump. From what I understand, dry rock can adsorb and store phosphate, and because your tank is so small it might be worth it trading off price/hassle of other options. I've done this in my 20g, and it wasn't a super rigourus test, but it did work.

Im more so worried about what is causing the excessive build up. If I add more rock, it will eventually just store more phosphates and be in the same spot. I do have a decent amount of rubble in chamber 2 under the chaeto.

 

[CookieRdReef]

Neo nitro plus phosphate e worked well for me.

 

[PeterEde]

Seachem Phosguard is what I used